Description

Set 1

Ramble On Rose
Me And My Uncle
Don't Ease Me In
Beat It On Down The Line
Brown Eyed Women
Mexicali Blues
Loser
Jack Straw
They Love Each Other
Looks Like Rain
Tennessee Jed
El Paso
China Cat Sunflower ->
Jam I Know You Rider
Playing In The Band

Notes

-d1t01 (ROR); Left channel problems from 4:54-6:41, I corrected it by patching in the right channel
-d1t07 (Loser); Diginoise @ :05
-d2t03 (Playin'); Left channel d/o (~1/10 sec, but it created an audible 'pop') @ 13:10:54, I corrected it by patching in the right channel
-d3t04 (Bobby McGee); Muffled for 1 second @ 1:52
-d3t06 (GDTRFB); Static for 2 seconds @ 8:30
-d3t07 (JBG); Minor static @ 1:12

-Deadlists and Setlist Program both show El Paso, China>Rider, Playin' to end the first set, and Promised Land to start the second. I wasn't there :O), but I have listened to this recording closely for splices etc, and cannot find any. Believe it if you need it...!

I used CD Wave and Shntool to retrack, and verify sb's, and CE2K for all editing.

First, no soundboard of this show - Dick Latvalla told me it was one of several key '73 shows that didn't survive in the vault. I was attended this one AND 8/1 the next night - 7/31 is THE show - as good as it gets. First, how can you critisize the 1st set list for no jam when you didnt even listen to the Playin' that ends the set which is 30 min and A+++? Seriously one of the two or 3 best Playins I've ever heard. Also, even though there's no 2nd set mammoth jam, EVERY single tune in the set is A-list quality performance (that goes for the 1st set as well)and Garcia is off the wall animatedBEST BR, LL, BP, etc...
8/1 '73 gets more attn because it contains a DS/EP (which is just pretty good) and the SB recording sounds great, but 7/31/73 is one of the best Dead shows ever.

This is a rather lame setlist for 73 - no secondary jams in the first set (Half-Step, Sunshine, Birdsong), unless you count TLEO. Still, there's about 1 CD, maybe a little more, of very hot music. To be honest, I haven't listened to the Playin' yet, but 20+ min. of 73 Playin' can't be wrong. The China Cat builds up the tension before finally releasing it in that characteristic jam of 72 Dark Stars and 73-74 China>Riders (I don't know what it's called, but I call it the "Joy" jam).

The most noteworthy aspect of this recording is how crispy it is for a 73 Aud. Credit the incipient Wall of Sound. I can't give it 5 stars, though, due to the somewhat lacking setlist, including the lack of a "big" second set jam.